Atlanta Falcons center Todd McClure (62) celebrates on the sidelines following kicker Matt Bryant's winning 49-yard field goal against the Seattle Seahawks during the fourth quarter of their NFC divisional ... more

Photo: Curtis Compton

Image 2 of 3

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, left, celebrates with running back Jason Snelling (44) after Snelling scored a touchdown on a 5-yard pass from Ryan against the Seattle Seahawks during the third quarter of their NFC divisional playoff NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 13, 2013, in Atlanta. The Falcons won 30-28. (AP Photo/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Curtis Compton) MARIETTA DAILY OUT; GWINNETT DAILY POST OUT; LOCAL TV OUT; WXIA-TV OUT; WGCL-TV OUT less

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, left, celebrates with running back Jason Snelling (44) after Snelling scored a touchdown on a 5-yard pass from Ryan against the Seattle Seahawks during the third quarter ... more

Photo: Curtis Compton

Image 3 of 3

New England Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich (50) runs with the ball after intercepting a pass intended for Houston Texans fullback James Casey as he is chased by Texans center Chris Myers (55)during the second half of an AFC divisional playoff NFL football game in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) less

New England Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich (50) runs with the ball after intercepting a pass intended for Houston Texans fullback James Casey as he is chased by Texans center Chris Myers (55)during the ... more

Photo: Elise Amendola

Familiar teams in title games

1 / 3

Back to Gallery

One game is a rematch. The other might feel like one — at least to one of the teams.

On Sunday, the Falcons barely got past Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks, who overcame a 20-point deficit to take a one-point lead, but gave it up after Matt Ryan drove Atlanta into field-goal range and Matt Bryant made a 49-yard kick with 8 seconds left.

Atlanta is the only team not making a repeat appearance in the NFL's final four. Last year, it was the Giants playing, and beating, the 49ers for the NFC title.

More Information

On Saturday, Kaepernick passed for 263 yards and rushed for 181 — a playoff record for a quarterback — to defeat Green Bay 45-31.

"We're one step closer to where we want to be," said Kaepernick. San Francisco hasn't been to the Super Bowl since 1995, when Steve Young led the 49ers to their fifth Lombardi Trophy.

Though the Niners must travel cross country for the game, they opened as 3-point favorites in a meeting of teams that played twice a year until 2003, when Atlanta was moved from the NFC West to the NFC South. Their only previous playoff meeting was a 20-18 win for the Falcons in the 1998 divisional playoffs. Atlanta won at Minnesota the next week to make its only Super Bowl.

San Francisco's 20-17 overtime loss last year to the Giants was part of a tense day of football that began with New England's 23-20 victory over the Ravens in the AFC title game.

In that game, Billy Cundiff missed a 32-yard field goal that would have tied the game with 11 seconds left.

This season, Justin Tucker beat out Cundiff for the kicker's job. Tucker hit a 47-yarder against Denver on Saturday to lift the Ravens to a 38-35 win in double overtime, extending Ray Lewis' career for at least one more week and putting the 17-year veteran one win away from his second Super Bowl.

"We fought hard to get back to this point and we're definitely proud of being here," Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco said. "We feel like it's going to take a lot for somebody to come and kick us off that field come the AFC championship game."

Lewis and the Ravens will have to stop the NFL's most potent offense. The Patriots put up 457 yards in a 41-28 victory over Houston, which left them one win away from their sixth Super Bowl in the 2000s.

"I think the two best teams are in the final," Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said. "Baltimore certainly deserve to be here and so do we."

The Patriots were made early 9½-point favorites against the Ravens.

These teams met in the regular season and that game was also decided by a kick — Tucker's 27-yard field goal that sneaked through the right upright for a 31-30 victory. Or did it?

While the Ravens were celebrating, Pats coach Bill Belichick ran to midfield and grabbed a replacement official's arm as he tried to exit the field. The NFL fined Belichick $50,000 for the gesture.